UTIs, or urinary tract infections, affect millions of men and women every year. Although they’re often treated with antibiotics, there are many things that you can do at home to both treat them and prevent them from occurring again down the road.

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care Chattanooga provides some helpful info.

• Where to start: Figure out if what you’re experiencing constitutes a UTI. A few common symptoms include a burning sensation when peeing, frequent urination, cloudy or dark urine, urine with a strong odor and a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying. While UTIs are more common among women due to their shorter urethra, men can also experience them.
• What to do first: Drink lots of fluids. The less hydrated you are, the more likely you are to get a UTI. So, drinking lots of water can help both treat UTIs and prevent them from occurring again by making you urinate more, which helps remove bacteria from the urinary tract.
• What to do next: Increase your vitamin C intake. The reason why this can work is because vitamin C increases the acidity of your urine, which, in turn, can kill off infection-causing bacteria.
• Another thing to try: Drink unsweetened cranberry juice. Although studies are mixed on whether or not it can treat current UTIs, studies show that cranberry juice definitely helps prevent future UTIs. Cranberries work by preventing bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract, thus preventing infection.
• What to do after: Take a probiotic. Probiotics are available in supplement form or can be found in fermented foods, such as kefir, kimchi, kombucha and probiotic yogurt. Probiotics are known to work best alongside antibiotics because antibiotics can cause disturbances in levels of gut bacteria.
• Action steps to take: Practice some daily healthy habits to reduce your risk of a UTI. This means doing things like not holding your urine for too long and urinating after sexual intercourse. Not doing these things can lead to a build-up of bacteria, which can result in infection.
• Doctor recommendations: If none of these home remedies work, schedule a doctor’s appointment. Life we said earlier, UTIs are often effectively treated with antibiotics, which can be prescribed by your doctor.
• After you’re better: Stay vigilant with your newly implemented healthy habits. If you frequently get UTIs, staying hydrated and clean will go a long way in preventing future infections.

We hope you stay healthy and well this year! If you have any questions or health concerns, don’t hesitate to visit AFC Urgent Care Chattanooga today.